


Background Story

by ainamclane



Series: Little Black Dress RT Challenge - Sentinel and Guide Verse [29]
Category: Bull (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, M/M, Sentinel/Guide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 13:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11418588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainamclane/pseuds/ainamclane
Summary: The past catches up to you eventually. This time, with the arrival of one ex-wife and a sister.





	Background Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Red_Pink_Dots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Pink_Dots/gifts).



> altering the background fact from “Too Perfect” in regard to Isabella’s, Benny’s and Jason’s relationship.
> 
> Thanks: mostly a plot bunny from me but very visual help from RPDots and tossing plots around :D  
> your artwork is amazing and the first I've ever gotten <3

The history between them was difficult. Bull knew that and when Isabella walked back into their life, he had a heavy sigh.

What should have been their future had then been laying in ruins. Isabella’s miscarriage had been the downfall. 

And also, the best thing that could ever have happened. In a sickening way. Hence, why Benny and he had left the Colón family. 

Oh, it wasn’t always the cakewalk they make it out to be. 

Passing Benny, the drink, Jason looked at the other man, hoping the relaxed setting in their favourite bar was enough for now. They clinked glasses and took a sip. Bull could tell that Benny was nearly wincing at the taste but then found it was soothing enough not to irritate him. The question almost expected by Jason: “When was the last time you bought me a forty-seven-dollar glass of scotch?”

Bull tried to think about it a second but also not too long: “I can’t remember.”

“Never.” 

Bull winced. Benny continued: “You have never done that. What, are you nervous, too? I knew it!” Bull shrugged. He knew it must be showing quite a lot that he was sitting sideways to Benny’s open body language. Even if the other man was a lawyer, he knew the tells by now as they had been working together for more than three years now. Benny continued: “It’s like you’re gearing up to ask me to take my daughter to prom.”

Jason shrugged: “Well, you don’t have a daughter. You do have a sister.”

“No, nonononono no,” Benny breathed and sighed. He looked shocked and Bull could read the scepticism clear as the paper in the morning. With his glasses of course, he was no Sentinel. Still, Benny’s emotions were clear and Benny continued: “Come on, you really want to represent your ex-wife?”

“I want to represent your sister,” Bull clarified. As if that needed explanation. While they had parted on difficult terms and with Benny leaving the family of sorts, she was still that, family.

While Benny was still trying to wrap his head around the case and Jason explained what she was charged with, Jason’s own thoughts were drawn back to the past. Just fragments of the grief he had felt that had broken something inside him.

The surge that had swept through his bones and had essentially caused him to come online. Right there on the deathbed of their stillborn child.

And Isabella had realized that she had lost someone else that moment because she was a mundane while Jason had been tested but had not come online.

When Jason had been ushered into isolation, he had come to terms with the death of his child in an instant. The perks of coming online as a Guide had been that the emotional turmoil was tough to deal with but the help he had gotten with erecting the shields had essentially been perfect to grief over night. Not that he ever forgot.

A Guide wasn’t meant to be crippled by an emotion after all. They were there to help others with their emotions and feelings. It was just pure luck that Jason was already such a natural gifted person in reading people. Being a Guide just underlined the whole factor.

“All right,” Benny said and placed the now empty glass back on the bar top: “Plan of attack?”

“We’ll meet her tomorrow,” Bull replied: “and take it from there.”

“You know she hates me, right?”

“She probably doesn’t,” Bull replied. He shrugged: “Circumstances made us who we are and brought us here. There was nothing anyone could do about it.”

“I wish I never would have come online,” Benny said.

Jason did a double take: “What?”

The eyes that focused on him were laced with pain and regret. Jason was about to reach out to Benny but the other was holding up a hand and indicating to be left alone.

Jason let him be.

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

Bull looked at the woman walking into their offices and shared a look with Benny. The smaller man was looking back at him with a sad smile and definitely a mixture of feelings while steeling his spine to look tough. Seeing his sister again was making the other man happy but Bull didn’t quite know what the whole ordeal would mean.

One thing that he was sure of, was to make Benny and Isabella talk again. They needed to be a family again.

Whatever means necessary.

Benny was watching them meet again. Jason knew the eyes on him any time and the view through the glass walls were certain. But he had to focus on Isabella now. To focus on the one person that still meant a lot to him. It had been tricky ushering her through the on-looks of the others but rather necessary in regards to their familiarity and history that did not need to be aired in the office. The gossip would start soon enough as it was.

“Jason,” she spoke and her voice was strained. He knew the toll the lawsuit must be taking on her. She was always the perfectionist and trying to appear that way was making their case all the more difficult: “It is good to see you.”

“You, too. You look great,” he replied with an honest smile. It came easy to smile at her and mostly irritating that the pain he should be feeling was completely gone. Might be a side effect. Nevertheless, she did look great and composed.

She seemed to think of something before shaking her head in a small motion. A second later she straightened and looked at Benny through the walls: “So he came with you then?”

“What other option was there, really?” Bull asked calmly and openly read her. She was displeased at Benny or him, probably even at them while she was slightly nervous in regard to interacting with him. The pain she felt was there and Bull couldn’t ease it for her.

“I guess not,” she replied and focused on Bull in front of her: “I still need your help.”

“I can do that,” Jason agreed. It was weird to talk to her like this but sure, they would help her out. As much as Benny didn’t want to admit it, being the little brother might be helpful this time, that and the protective streak: “He can do that.”

Isabella was indicating that she was trying hard not to touch the big elephant in the room but mostly Bull tried not to poke the bear or dive into the bee’s nest. The status quo was probably best as it was.

Marissa was eying them as well by now and Bull was motioning for Isabella to come out with him. He knew the others had no clue yet who she was in regards but a few words and it would be clear. It was a surprise Danny hadn’t caught on yet.

Chunk was taking a look at Isabella’s clothing style and approving in an obvious manner. Cable was quickly hiding her blogs and Danielle was looking at Benny, mostly trying not to look at his sister.

Bull was stepping out to the others: “Everyone, meet Isabella Colón.”

Isabella was looking at all and from one to the other. While the last name should clue them in, only Marissa seemed to have made the conclusion in that instant. Of course, the last name was rather common. And they didn’t look alike.

“Benny,” she greeted then, much to the surprise of everyone, even Benny. The smaller man was looking up at his sister and disliking that she wore heels to make her taller than him: “Izzy,” Benny replied and waited for her to decide how to approach.

She did with an easy step and wrapping her arms around her brother. The subtle breath Benny took in to smell her wasn’t lost on Jason but probably on everyone else.

“Wait, you’re her brother?” Cable asked in surprise: “Seriously?”

They drew back apart and the walls came back up. They stepped further away from each other than people that stayed in close contact and were related would be doing.

It was obvious for Marissa and Danielle that there was more going on but Jason was interrupting them all before things could get out of hand and steered them to the task at hand, namely mock trials, clothes selection and the like.

That Jason hadn’t talked to Benny since the other man had walked out the night before was just a sore point between them but Bull knew Benny was likely to need the space. 

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

Trying Isabella in front of the mock-juries with different clothes was a bust and leaving the makeup away was a simple, easy step.

That Benny wasn’t representing Izzy himself was a sore spot but they were briefing her lawyer and with the matters between them it probably wasn’t a good idea to represent his sister. Besides, Benny had turned down the job offer for a reason.

But the whole tension was not to be left out of the office. While Jason had the commlink to the TAC, he was partly focused on Izzy and what she was telling him. Benny was sitting behind him and rolling his eyes.

They were going rounds and rounds personally wise. Izzy was still upholding the perfect image and it was telling that the mirror jury was still in the back corner. Which wasn’t good.

“We need to show them that Isabella is not perfect,” Marissa said simply and Chunk was nodding in agreement: “It is nothing about her looks that I can change.”

“Very well, I guess it is time to have dinner with the ex,” Bull said simply and shared a look with Benny. Benny, whom he still hadn’t talked to as they had all but slept at the office last night and that was no place to talk about anything. 

Benny was now following him into the office and closing the doors, knowing the eyes of everyone else was on them and following their body language. Hence why Bull, in the first time ever, activated the milk glass to his office. Even Benny seemed to be surprised that the feature existed.

“You want to tell them,” Benny said upon realizing what was going on.

Jason nodded: “I want you and Isabella to talk again, Benny. I want you to be part of the Colón family again and it is mostly Izzy that is keeping you away. I know how much this means to you.”

“But I am not willing to throw us under the bus.”

Jason sighed: “We’ve been working with them for two and a half years now. They deserve to know.”

The smaller man hung his head: “I hate when you’re right.” He sighed and shrugged: “How can they respect me when I’m so small compared to you?”

Bull gaped: “You’re anything but small! You have a high adrenaline response. You are quick and deadly, talk circles around everyone, you are smart and passed the bar where I failed and you’re funny. Don’t ever forget the one moment you saved my life, Sentinel!”

Startled brown eyes focused on his and Jason was in Benny’s arms an instant later, hugging the life out of his Sentinel: “That man was about to shoot me, you got that much through our empathic bond. You were fast, you used the Katas we learned to fight. You saved me.”

Benny was remembering the part very well but also knew how Jason was thinking about it. It was a sore point between them, still: “I don’t want them to find out I’m sleeping with the boss.”

“More like married to with an unbreakable bond,” Jason interrupted and then pressed a kiss to Benny’s lips to quiet him for a second: “You are my Sentinel and a very gifted and talented lawyer. Don’t ever feel bad about yourself ever again.” He nudged their mental bond and shoved a great deal of cheer and confidence at the other man.

With a shrug and a subtle breath, the dark haired straightened up enough to show the confidence Jason’s words had given him. He stepped back from Bull a bit: “I am sorry I had to get my head straight the night before or we could have talked about it all and what Isabella showing up and airing our laundry might mean.”

“It will mean you are with your family again.”

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

Isabella was cornering her brother not too long after his chat with Bull, without knowing about the plan they would be making. She was glad that her brother had found his match after years and years of looking but that it had to have been Jason, that was simply a mood point.

“I am sorry,” Benny said softly: “for not explaining why I didn’t take your offer.”

“No, you simply left. But I get it now. Really,” she replied: “I am glad you found a home and do what you love. I just want you back in my life Ben.”

“If you’ll have me back,” he agreed and wrapped his sister in a tight hug.

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

“To what do I owe you the pleasure of this after dinner drink?” Isabella asked Jason and Bull was opening up his shields a bit to get a read on her. He hadn’t ever dared to read her this closely before but this time, it was important. And if he had to out Benny and himself for this, so be it. It was a family matter now.

“It is time. You did agree to let Benny close again,” Jason said and sighed: “I’m sorry Izzy.”

“What, for running out on me the day our daughter died?”

Jason winced. It was a low blow but he replied: “Among other things.”

“I learnt that we grief differently. But not everyone runs away screaming,” she accused and when did Izzy got the drop on him?

Bull shrugged: “I was being honest. I wanted everything and all this but there was nothing to do after that.”

“I know when a relationship is doomed, Jason. I know when your partner comes online, they’re different. But you didn’t even grief for our daughter.” She was angry now and a small tear slipped down her cheek.

“I did. I just couldn’t be crippled by it.”

“And then you turned around and bonded with my brother.”

“You ended it before that happened. You said you couldn’t live with me being even more observant as a shrink and a Guide now. I hadn’t even met Benny in between.” Bull said: “But essentially, yes to all that.”

“You’re willing to take the blame?”

“I am, as I will not be hindered by it.”

“Why did Benny come work for you? What changed his mind?” Isabella asked and Bull sighed. He knew she had to ask.

And he replied in a very low voice so that the microphones wouldn’t pick it up if they were still running: “Because I nearly died. A client tried to kill me and Benny saved my life. He felt it in his duty to protect me from beside me and luckily I needed a lawyer for what I had in mind.”

Isabella seemed to consider all that and with a bitter nod, thanked him: “Welcome back to the family, JJ.”

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

Benny in the meanwhile was ignoring the stares he got from everyone. What, it wasn’t like they had planned to never tell them about being bonded. It just never came up. That and the whole past was their private matter and while they did have two apartments, only one was ever used to invite the others. That was mostly for Benny's comfort as his senses tended to be annoyed with the perfume of others.

"You never told us you were a Sentinel," Cable voiced and Marissa looked hurt that they had kept that secret from her. And that even though she had been working for them right from the start.

"We never told anyone. Isabella just knew because there was just too much coincidence not to know. And she always knew I was a Sentinel," Benny replied: "Besides that, it's Bull's and my personal matter. You have no say in this and are not allowed to ask or inquire."

Chunk was only grinning slightly; probably glad he wasn't the only one not entirely straight though Benny wasn't so sure about Cable sometimes...

Marissa was about to say something else when Jason's voice came over the line: "Don't stress my Sentinel guys."

A warm feeling was making itself known in Benny's stomach and he felt more calm with those words. While Bull had talked to him in that matter before, never before had Jason said that when other ears were present. It made something inside him click and relax that he hadn't realized was wrong to begin with.

Danny was smiling at him and once again Benny knew she was one shove away from coming online herself. Why she hadn't in her line of work before was beyond him but probably the same reason Jason hadn't come online before the miscarriage.

Because her other half wasn't around in her life to support her.

"Allright," the voice through the speakers appeared again: "Izzy and I will be heading out now. Our job is done. Benny, I'll see you at home."

The home was a reference to their private house, one where no guest was ever allowed. In a way, Benny had one apartment, the private one, while Bull officially had another place. Nevertheless, they were both registered at both places. It was simply a means to divert others to the knowledge.

With the audio transmission terminated, they all gathered their belongings to head home. They all could need the peace for once.

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

When Jason stepped into their apartment, Benny was already there, sitting down relaxed and easy. Something in their bond felt differently and Bull was opening up his shields to the maximum for a correct read: "What changed?"

"Probably the fact that they know, accept it and are my pack," Benny replied: "Maybe even the cleared air between us and Isabella." Benny confessed.

"Do you trust me?"

"Always," Benny replied before he could think about it much. It was true either way.

With a nod, Jason stepped closer and rested his forehead against Benny's: "My Sentinel."

"My Guide," Benny replied and then gasped softly when he realized that his body and mind was relaxing and opening up another shield. It was as if having an extended family and friends as his pack had added another, deeper layer to their bond: "What?"

"I'm sorry I didn't realize that we needed friends, our pack to be more stable. I never heard about such a case," Bull replied and expanded his shields to wrap in the new space provided.

"I'm better now," Benny agreed: "With the whole being enough for you and not too small. It's weird when I think that just yesterday, I was so insecure."

"I guess there is not a single study out there where it is explored if a Sentinel and Guide keep their bond to themselves among friends and their chosen pack," Bull sighed: "I get on the phone with Alpha Guide Sandburg and might just write another paper on that matter. The timing is just right as my time for sitting idly without publishing anything is coming to an end."

"Just please leave out our names when you write that," Benny agreed: "But I'll probably proof-read it anyways just to be sure we won't be getting sued for anything."

"Probably," Jason chuckled: "How did the others react?"

"Well, mostly fine I guess but then again they got reminded that they can't talk about it." A huge yawn was stealing more of Colón's sentence and he looked irritated. Guess two nights not sleeping or being around his Guide was taking its toll.

"Chunk is probably laughing his ass off," Jason said simply and moved to start undressing.

"Could be true," Benny agreed and followed his Guide to the bedroom.

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

To the last day of their court session, the Colón family as a whole showed up. While Benny was mostly staying focused on the trial session and his sister, he barely didn't notice them. When Izzy was hugging their parents and sister, she turned around and waved at him. To be honest, the family probably hadn't seen him there either as he had been hiding behind Chunk and Bull.

The startled expressions on the family were something else. While Isabella and Bull had broken up over the disaster, the family only knew that Benny had turned down Isabella's job offer but didn't know that he was working with Jason now. 

"Benjamín," his mother said and looked like she had seen a ghost. Probably because Benny hadn't had a talk with them in quite a few years. Pretty much ever since he had walked out on them and Isabella after bonding with Bull.

"Mama," he replied and looked semi-shocked. Jason was right there behind him but trying to not react in any way as to not draw attention to himself.

"I didn't know you were her lawyer," his father said surprised.

Benny shrugged with unease: "Technically, I am only a consultant to the lawyer. We all are."

And with that small added we, the focus shifted to Bull and Mrs Colón was in rage, about to slap Jason in the face but Benny had caught her hand easily: "Don't."

She eyes him quizzically but it was Isabella that spoke: "Jason came online as Ben's Guide the second my miscarriage happened. It isn't their fault any more than it is mine."

"You found your Guide. In Jason?" Mr Colón asked in surprise. 

Benny shifted slightly, a second of uncomfortable knowledge how that must look to others but essentially, he nodded: “Yes, in Jason.”

The silence that followed was pretty bad there but Isabella was nodding at them to make them understand she was fine. It was their sister Jessenia that spoke first: “Oh thank god you bonded. I’m happy for you. Will we now be seeing you again at family dinners?”

Bull was slowly relaxing and in turn projected is ease to Benny, pretty much saying that the confrontation was over with and the shock dealt with. It was Mr Colón that answered: “We always liked Jason but couldn’t understand why he left so suddenly.”

“I asked him to,” Isabella said: “I needed the space and I didn’t know Benny was now glued to the hip and in turn unconsciously made him stay away. Where his Guide wasn’t welcome, Benny wouldn’t have ever felt welcome.”

The underlined I-am-sorry was tell-tale and Benny reached out to his sisters for an arm around each their waists and pressed a kiss to both sister’s cheeks: “I love both of you.”

Mr Colón was shaking Jason’s hand and looking at the team littered behind Jason with a curt nod. Then he allowed his wife and daughter to do the same with Bull, though Jessenia hugged Jason, before going to the courtroom. 

Winning the trial felt so much better with the whole family feud settled.

*B*U*L*L*S*H*I*T*L*I*S*T*

While Benny and Jason were asked to join the festivities with a Colón dinner, they declined and invited the family to the TAC office instead as the whole team – plus countless others in the background that all worked hard to get the job done and were preparing other cases - were doing their traditional after-win-celebrations.

They had a party in the usual style; a catering service had brought various bain-marie filled with foods of all kind, mostly Mexican this time around, as well as a small cocktail bar while Cable was their DJ for the night.

Sitting down and eating with the Colón family felt familiar and relaxing but they all could feel that some questions still had to be answered. Among those were the glances Marissa was shooting them.

After a while, the party was winding down, most of the other co-workers leaving early to spend time with their respective others while the tight team was staying behind.

“Why didn’t you tell us about you?” Marissa asked quietly and without any judgement in her voice.

Bull shrugged: “Because we weren’t sure how this would work out. I was attacked by a client because he could feel what I was and went crazy. It was seriously dumb luck that Benny had signed on as my lawyer and we were in the final stages of bonding. That was the final nail in the coffin. After that, we told the Alpha Pair of New York that we were bonded but we didn’t want to be known to everyone as a Sentinel and Guide in case of other attacks. I was finally able to pick my cases as I liked, I knew almost instantly every time when someone was guilty or innocent. I didn’t want to become a go-to person especially for Sentinel and Guides and furthermore, I never wanted to put Benny into the situation again that someone was targeting me for who I am. For who we are. And while we’ve been working together for years now,…”

“We always feared to have to walk away from this,” Benny finished the monologue: “And I didn’t know how my family would react to my male Guide much less Izzy’s ex. Because telling one would have meant telling everyone.”

Benny’s mother was shaking her head in a nonsense manner while it was Benny’s father that shrugged: “It doesn’t matter. It never would have and never did. I am sorry if we made you feel unsure about that.”

“Wait, you mentioned something about feeling different?” Cable asked and referred back to a side-line remark between Benny and Bull.

Benny sighed: “We didn’t know because apparently, it never happened before that a Sentinel and Guide pair had been as isolated as we are in regards to their pack or family. That meaning that we will reach out to the Alpha Guide Sandburg who is a respected Anthropologist to find out more about the matter. We are feeling more settled and more connected to one another ever since we told you and you in a way accepted us.”

“But we’re not Sentinel or Guides,” Danny pointed out.

“But you’re as close as a family and thus an emotional support for us,” Bull explained simply.

The party died down after that and it was Izzy, Bull and Benny that were left to lock up the door. They were walking on the sidewalk, Izzy trying to get a cab for herself and turned to Benny and Jason: “I hope that we can finally move on and be a family and friends again.”

“I hope that, too,” Jason said and adjusted his glasses.

“We are family,” Benny agreed.

Isabella smiled brightly at them, with an ease that had been absent before: “Don’t be strangers.”

Benny was following her for a few blocks with his senses before Jason was demanding his Sentinel’s attention and was placing a kiss on his lips: “Care to head to a Sentinel and Guide get together?”

“Not just yet. Let’s bask in the new layer of a bond first before going to the outings and making them aware of who we are.” Benny replied. He wanted to keep the peace and quiet for a little longer.

That, and spending some quality time with his Guide was imperial now.

The End

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Digital Arts inspired by "Background Story"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11629524) by [Red_Pink_Dots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Pink_Dots/pseuds/Red_Pink_Dots)




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